The present invention relates to an obstacle for placement on a playing field and use during training exercises, such as footwork, coordination, speed, and/or agility training exercises for soccer or like sport, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a support for a humanoid figure, or dummy player, arranged to provide an obstacle or like training device used during such training exercises.
For purposes merely of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,938 issued to Orlandi et al. discloses a silhouette dummy of generally human form suitable for use during training exercises, such as, training exercises for football, rugby and like sports. The base of the silhouette dummy includes spikes for being inserted into the ground for anchoring the silhouette dummy to a natural grass playing field.
Playing field obstacle devices specifically adapted for soccer training are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,866,595 B1 and 7,198,580 B2 issued to Elder et al. Other types of training obstacles and/or dummies are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,869,503 issued to Grasso; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,658,329 issued to Ciccarello; D. U.S. Pat. Nos. 321,370 issued to Curtis; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,552,749 issued to Piggotte; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,527,185 issued to Davis; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,675,921 issued to Meyers, Sr.; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,772,538 issued to Sztykiel et al.; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,928,093 issued to Lai; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,573,867 issued to Mehrens; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,168,062 issued to McCarthy et al.; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,489,940 issued to Amundson; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,012,994 issued to Beluse; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,156,760 B2 issued Berdugo et al.
Although the above referenced athletic training devices, obstacles, and dummies disclosed by the above referenced patents may be satisfactory for their intended purpose, there is a need for a silhouette dummy or like obstacle that can be readily positioned and re-positioned in a manner requiring a minimum of time, effort, skill and labor on both natural and artificial surfaces without the use of ground-insertion spikes or the like. In addition, preferably the apparatus should be capable of ready transport to and from the practice field in a compact condition and capable of ready arrangement on the playing surface in any desired layout.